Antenna Topics: A limited space 40 meter dipole, post #184
KH6JRM's Amateur Radio Antenna Topics A limited space 40 meter dipole. The half-wave length dipole fed with 450-ohm feedline (the classic "doublet") is a basic antenna that will give you hours of enjoyment and plenty of DX if the flat top is at least 30 to 50 feet (9.14 to 15.24 meters) above ground. Even at lower elevations, this simple, inexpensive antenna will provide strong local and regional coverage with a minimum of effort. But, for those of us who face space restrictions (not enough back yard or oddly shaped house lots), getting a horizontal flat top working can be a problem. Like many amateur radio operators, my backyard is small and erecting two masts approximately 66 feet apart (20.12 meters) is not feasible. Is it possible to shorten the horizontal length a bit and drop off the remaining portion of the dipole perpendicular to the flat top and still get decent performance? According to Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR, you can modify the horizontal length an